We got up at 1 am on Friday to make the crossing across the Gulf Stream, and got off the dock at 2 am. The weather was forecasted with a wind we could sail with and 3 to 5 foot waves in the Gulf Stream. We left Key Largo in pitch darkness since there was no moon (can’t have everything!), but fortunately Rob knows these waters really well. We had a few scary moments – it is impossible to tell how far away a light really is when it is pitch dark – and we almost took out a sparbuoy we didn’t see.
Within an hour we were at the edge of the Gulf Stream, and the forecast was wrong again. There was absolutely no wind! We were motoring, and really looking forward to first daylight, so we could see what was in front of us.
Although this weather was not good for sailing, it did make for a very comfortable motor crossing. We had no idea the Gulf Stream could be this calm!
We got to Bimini around 2 pm and pulled into Bluewater Marina in Alice Town. Anya had prepared all the paperwork and hopped off to do immigration and customs, since this was our last day of a valid Covid test and Bahamian health visa. 1.5 hours later, it was done, and we were allowed to officially change our quarantine flag to the Bahamian flag.
We walked over to the beach and went to CJ‘s, where we meet some fun people to spend the evening with. It was great to be able to hang out, meet new people and have a few drinks!
Saturday we took a walk on the beach, and then went to our favorite Conch Salad place, Stuart‘s. It is right on the water and has been there for over 30 years. We were there 7 years ago and loved it, and were surprised to see that the prices haven‘t changed since then! $8 for a delicious freshly orepared conch salad, and $3 for a beer, What a steal, especially for the Bahamas!
We decided to have another day in Bimini and get some boat things done that we had noticed on the crossing. And we did.
Monday (tomorrow) morning we are crossing the Bahamas Banks to go to the Berries, where we will take our 5-day mandatory Covid test, and then we will sail down the Berries, then make a quick stop in Nassau for our outboard motor, and then off to the Exumas. All without any time constraints!